A Little Late Catch Up

It has been way way to long since my last blogging post, and I so apologize for that. I kinda got swallowed up by Fall  preparations around the farm, and having both parents not well.
But I'm back, and wanting to bring you all up to date on what I was so busy with.

So I'm going to back up a week ago or a little more and start. Lets start in the kitchen.

I finally got the last of the cucumbers used up and finished off with another batch of Celery Relish.we have had some heavy frosts the last few nights.
If any would like the recipe let me know.

I got 2 batches more of apple jelly made. I only get a crop of apples every second year here so I have been trying to make enough apple items for two years.


If you would like my apple jelly recipe again I will certinally share it.

I also tried out Donna's Apple pie filling Recipe over at Merry Heart Crafts. Thank you Donna it turned out lovely.
I highly recommend it for you go to pie filling. :)

We picked tomatoes, and more tomatoes, and filled our baskets with ripe ones. It seemed like it took forever this year for them to ripen, but once they started.
We also had way to many cherry tomatoes. I planted to many and my mouth is all broken out from eating so many. But they are so good.

I bottled 18 quarts for the winter,and made Ketchup in the slow cooker with the rest. We ended up with 16 pint jars of ketchup.
Then a neighbour dropped by and gave us more tomatoes. I did up another 11 quarts of sauce. They also brought me 6 more heads of cauliflower so we did 4 up and blanched and froze them. We are still eating the rest with our own.

I have my windows sills in my home filled with green ones waiting for them to ripen.
I should be making a batch of chow with the green ones,but just have not had the time as of yet.

We got the corn all picked and I have been storing the bags in the cooler to preserve it longer. The girls helped me and we were able to do up some cream corn. I also blanched and froze some on the cob for winter eating. There is still a half bag and we have been enjoying a lot of corn on the cob with our suppers.

As for our pork.....

2 Thursday evenings ago we cut up the first one. It went well and after babysitting a cooler for the week  I was happy it was done. Well most of the week that is.Then our weather changed back to rain and cold about mid week and the cooler worked perfect.

2 Friday evenings ago  we butchered our second one,and hung it in the cooler. We grounded up all the pork that was left from the first pig,and put it back into the fridge for Saturday to make Sausages.
Saturday afternoon we made our first batch of sausages with my husbands cousin that had came to help out. We were only able to get medium casings for the sausages as we were completely out and I was having trouble finding them as our normal rep was out of province. But they worked. We usually always made our maple ones in the breakfast size and our honey garlic in the large size. But this year is a it different. No worries they still taste wonderful.
This year we were able to try a new flavour.. Donair ......  They are wonderful and I bet they would be even better wrapped in a pita, added with shredded lettuce, a little tomato, onion, and topped with Donair sauce. Can't wait to try this out.

Tuesday evening we cut up our bigger more fattier pig. It went well as well.


Here you can start to see a little of what the meat room, and cooler looks like

long ways to go yet, but it sure beats where we were before. We have not had enough time yet to get the counters built so we had to use a table for now to wrap the meat.

Jill loved to help wrap the meat.

Wednesday  morning we had our annual family breakfast at Jill's school. It was family week and every year they host the most wonderful continental breakfast of pancakes,cereal,toast, muffins,fruit, cheeses,tea,coffee,and juices.
After sitting eating and chatting I said my goodbyes to Jill and Jayne and I headed over to her school to drop her off. Then it was off to Moms for my routine day.

The kiddies had the remainder of the week off for teachers meetings, and with it being Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, they will not have to go back until Tuesday.

We had a very easy chicken burger and fry supper, as I had a meeting for Jill's grade 5 end of year trip at 630 which went well.
I got back home around 740 and Hubby has just finished grounding up the pork for the sausages. We all got involved and got more made.

Another job done. It feels great to have all the pork done up in the freezer. Along with all those Sausages.
I am not sure if we will need a deer this year for our sausages. We have a little time to think about it. We still have our beef left to do.
Partridge season has started here as well back on the 1st, and we have not had time as of yet to go hunting.Justin has gotten one so far. I was hoping over the long weekend we will get a chance to start. I have been craving a bouillon, but this was not the case as Friday after noon my Dad ended up in the hospital with very high blood pressure and a gull bladder attack. So I spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday running back and forth to the hospital and looking after my Mom. Thank goodness I have such a understanding family. No pumpkin pie got made, no pie crust got done, and no apple pie. But my family says that we have all this week to get them done and we will eat pumpkin pie all next weekend. I love my Family.

Dad is feeling a bit better. he still wants to go back to work tomorrow.We had a  wonderful brunch with my family this morning.

We worked on our wood shed filling it today and cooked a turkey for Supper. It will certinally be a Thanksgiving to remember that's for sure. 

Take care and Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian Friends.